Metering can line combiner



United States Patent 3,178,006 METERING CAN LDIE COMBINER Biagio J. Nigrelli, Northbrook, Wendell E. Standley, Lake Forest, and Richard B. Withnann, Chicago, Ill., ass1gnors, by mesne assignments, to Johns-Nigrelh-Johns,

Inc., Skokie, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Feb. 21, 1962, Ser. No. 174,732 4 Claims. (Cl. 198-32) The present invention relates to conveyor systems and more particularly to mechanism for converting two con veyed rows of cylindrical articles, such as cans, to a single row.

An important object of the invention is to provide simple and eifective mechanism for converting a double row of conveyed cans, contained between guide rails, to a single row, also contained between guides, and to avoid the tendency of jamming.

Another object of the invention is to provide mechanism which will be efiective to allow variation in the speed of flow of cans from a double line to a single line up to a predetermined maximum speed.

A further object is to provide a pair of juxtaposed rotatable star wheels having notches to receive the cans as they pass, the speed of rotation of such star wheels being controlled so that they in turn will limit the speed of flow of the cans to a predetermined maximum.

A further object is to provide a compact, unitary star wheel feeding and metering device readily adaptable for placement over a can conveyor, such as usually employed in beverage packing plants, and capable of effective use in converting a double line of conveyed cans to a single line.

Still further objects are to provide eitective control devices to cause the drive for the star wheels to be interrupted either for lack of suiiicient cans advancing in the double row, or in the event of cans in the single line beginning to back up toward the star wheels.

Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the drawings- FIG. 1 is a plan view, partly in section, showing a conveyor for advancing a double row of cans past a pair of cooperating star wheels which control and feed the cans from the double row into a single row;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view, partly in section, showing the relation between the star wheels, guide bars and conveyor for the double row of cans, and showing the motor and gearing for driving the star wheels; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic wiring diagram to illustrate control means for the star wheel drive.

The mechanism of the present invention is advantageous in packing line arrangements where an output of two lines of canned or bottled foods or beverages can be handled by a single high speed carton loading machine adapted to receive a single line of cans or bottles. As illustrated, two lines of cans are advanced on a conveyor to a pair of adjacent star wheels rotatable in unison but arranged in staggered relation so that the cans from the abutted double line are fed in single tile and delivered to a receiving conveyor preferably driven in excess of twice the speed of the double line conveyor so that the cans on the single line conveyor will be spaced apart.

Contact switches are located at a suitable distance ahead of the star whels. These switches, placed in the motor circuit, will move to open position in the absence of cans bearing against the switch fingers and will interrupt the current to the motor. A photocell switch unit is located at a suitable distance beyond the star wheels and, in the event that the cans back up toward the star wheels and thereby interrupt the light-beam beyond a predetermined time, the motor switch will be opened to stop the motor.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the articles to be handled, such as chimed cans 1, 1, are advanced in two rows on a delivery conveyor 2 to a pair of cooperating star wheels 3 and 4. The star wheels accept cans alternately from the two advancing lines and feed the cans over a dead plate 5 and onto a conveyor 6. The cans may be discharged from the conveyor 6 in any desired manner.

Conveyor 2 is preferably of the well known flat plate construction in which the separate plates on which the cans rest are suitably linked together and are driven by means of sprockets. The conveyor 2 is driven in any suitable manner, the drive being herein indicated by a sprocket and a sprocket chain 8 and 9. The sprocket 8 is secured on a shaft 10 which carries the sprocket 11 for the connected flat plates. While the delivery conveyor 2 is shown as a single unit, it is obvious that separate conveyors arranged side by side could be utilized if desired. Cans are conveyed in abutted relation on this conveyor and, during normal operation, the conveyor is operated continuously. In the event of stoppage of the can fiow, the conveyor plates slip harmlessly beneath the cans.

As illustrated, conveyor 2 terminates adjacent the star wheels where it passes around sprocket 11, and the cans are transferred onto the dead plate 5 which bridges the gap between the two conveyors 2 and 6.

Conveyor 6 may be identical in construction with conveyor 2 and is illustrated as being driven by chain 14 passing over sprocket 15 secured on shaft 16 which carries the sprocket engaging the linked plates.

The cans on the two conveyors are held in line by guide bar sections indicated at 17, 17 and 18, 18 for the respective conveyors 2 and 6. Between the sections 17 and 18 there are arranged converging guide bar sections 18a, 18a. As shown in FIG. 2, the guide bars are spaced from the conveyor surfaces so as to contact approximately the mid-portions of the cans.

Any suitable driving means may be employed for the sprocket chains 9 and 14. To enable the conveyor 6 to accept all the cans transferred from conveyor 2 and to cause the cans on conveyor 6 to be spaced apart, this conveyor is preferably driven at a speed from 10% to 25% in excess of twice the speed of conveyor 2. In practice a spacing of the cans by approximately one-fourth of a can diameter is satisfactory.

Feeding or transfer mechanism is provided to receive cans singly from alternate rows on delivery conveyor 2 and to combine such cans into a single row on conveyor 6. In the present instance a pair of star wheels, indicated as a whole at 3 and 4, serve this purpose. As illustrated in FIG. 2, each star wheel is formed in two sections, 3a, 3b, and 4a, 4b, fixed in vertically spaced relation on upright shafts 21 and 22. The spacing of the star wheel sec tions is such that they will engage the can sides at locations spaced somewhat down from the top of the can and upward from the bottom of the can. The shafts are journalled in suitable elongated bearing members 23 and 24 and the upper ends of the shafts carry pinions 25 and 26 meshing with intermediary pinions 27 and 28, which mesh with each other. Pinions 27 and 28 are mounted on short shafts received in bosses 29 and 30 projecting from a housing member 31 which also carries the bearings 23 and 24.

The gear housing 31 is suitably supported on horizontal frame members 32, 32 secured to vertically extending frame members. The upper end of one of these vertical frame members is shown at 33.

Due to the gearing just described, the star wheels are controlled to rotate in unison and the wheels are arranged in staggered relation, as indicated in FIG. 1. Thus cans from the two rows advancing On conveyor 2 will be received alternately within the notches of the opposite wheels. By operating conveyor 2 continuously in normal use of the mechanism, the presence of a substantial number of abutted cans moving on the conveyor will cause the star Wheels to rotate and the cans will thus be fed alternately from each row and delivered in staggered relation onto conveyor 6 within the converging section of the guide bars. As conveyors 6 is driven at a lineal speed of more than twice that of conveyor 2 the cans will be carried away from the star wheels as fast as they emerge from between the wheels and such cans will bespaced apart from between the wheels and such cans will be spaced apart on conveyor 6 substantially as illustrated.

It is preferred to limit the speed at which the cans will travel pastthe star wheels and for this purpose a small motor 36 is mounted on a plate 37 secured to auxiliary frame members 38. The motor 36, through suitable reduction gears in gear box 39, drives a shaft 40 on which is secured a sprocket 41. The sprocket 41 drives a sprocket chain 42 passing around .a similar sprocket 43 secured to clutch parts within casing 44 of an overrunning clutch of conventional construction. This clutch is associated with the shaft 21 on which star wheel 3 is carried. When the motor is in operation the driven portion of the clutch will rotate at all times at its maximum speed and will limit rotation of the star wheel shafts to this same speed. In practice, the clutch parts connected directly to the sprocket will simply rotate idly about the upper end of shaft 21, and the shaft will not be influenced by the clutch until the speed of rotation of the shafts tends to exceed the speed of clutch rotation. In such event, the speed of the star wheel shafts may move up to their maximum speed but cannot exceed such speed. As a consequence, the number of cans delivered into single file on conveyor 6 will not be in excess of the number that it is found desirable for this conveyor to carry in a unit time.

When the current to motor 36 is cut olf it will act as a positive brake and the star wheels will be held from their can feeding action until the motor 36 is again placed in operation.

In order to assure satisfactory operation of the metering device it'is desirable to have an adequate supply of cans in each row on conveyor 2. To assure such adequate supply of cans contact switches 46, 46 are arranged one on each side of conveyor 2. Theseswitches are normally open but will be closed when the contact finger 47 of the switch is deflected by a can and so held by the cans as they advance. The switches are connected in series in the motor circuit and when both switches are inclos'ed position current may flow to the motor through this portion of the circuit.

In the event the flow of cans toward the star wheels is less than the desired normal flow, it is preferred to allow the number of cans to accumulate and thus prevent repeated starting and stopping of the motor within brief periods, called fluttering of the motor. For this purpose a time delay relay 48, having normally open 'contacts 48a, is arranged with its coils in circuit with the switches 47, 47. Upon closing both switches current will pass through relay coils 48 and after a delay of a predetermined time, the contracts 48a will close, thus conditioning this portion of the circuit for motor operation when the remainder of the motor circuit is closed. Since the motor will not be started immediately following the closing of both switches 46, 46, an interval isprovided for an added number of cans to accumulate upstream from the star wheels. If the flow of cans is still not up to normaland one or both of the switches 46, 46 again open, the breaking of the motor circuit will not, in any event, follow closely after the circuit is closed and'thus fluttering of the motor is avoided.

For the purpose of preventing'cans from backing up into the star wheels in the event the machine receiving the cans from the discharge side of the combiner cannot handle the volume of cans at a given time, an addi-- tional switch is added to the motor circuit. This switch is controlled by a photocell unit 50 placed so that its beam is directed across the path ofcans on the receiving conveyor. The photocell unit operates in conjunction with a time delay relay 51 (see FIG. 3) which is maintained with its switch contacts 51a normally closed by a coil energized through the photocell. The contacts remain closed so long as light is on the receiver of the photocell and will open after the light beam is interrupted for longer than a predetermined time interval. This interval is somewhat longer than the time required in normal operation for a single can to pass through the light beam. As the cans normally move in spaced relation on conveyor 6, the light beam is constantly being reestablished after each interruption.

In the event the cans should begin to backup toward the star wheels, the light beam will be interrupted for a sufiicient interval to cause the time delay relay to time out and open the contacts 51a of the relay to interrupt the flow of current to the motor. The light beam is arranged to be projected at a small angle to a line which is perpendicular to the conveyor 6. This is for the reason that chimed cans, when abutted with their chimes in contact, would allow a light beam to pass between the body portions of the cans. By directing the beam at an angle, as illustrated, no light from the beam can pass between the cans even though the body portions of the cans are not indirect contact.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the present invention provides a relatively simple feeding and metering mechanism for combining two rows of cans into a single row and controlling the speed of flow of the cans discharged onto the receiving conveyor. By reason of the compact unitary construction of the star wheels with the motor and gearing for controlling the star wheels, the mechanism is relatively easy and inexpensive to install over existing can conveyors. It is not necessary in every instance that two separate conveyors, such as conveyors 2 and 6, driven at different speeds, be employed. The mechanism has utility when installed directly over a double line conveyor. In such an installation the portion ahead of the star wheels may be considered the delivery section and the portion beyondthe star wheels may be considered the receiving section. The conveyor will be operated at the desired speed of the single line of cans on the discharge side of the star wheels. The section of the conveyor ahead of the star wheels, carrying the double line of cans, will slip beneath the cans but at the same time will urge the rows of cans forwardly to pass out in single file from between the star wheels as above explained.

While the present description sets forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, numerous changes may be made in the construction without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as ill-ustr'ative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended'claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. The combination of a delivery conveyor for two rows of abutted cans or similar articles, means for driving the conveyor, a receiving conveyor for a singleline of cans, means for driving the receiving conveyor at a speed at least twice the speed of the delivery conveyor, feeding means located between the conveyors, said feeding means being formed of two operating units acting in unison and arranged at opposite sides of the delivery conveyor, such feeding means acting alternately to feed a can from each row of the delivery conveyor onto the receiving conveyor, the feeding means being actuabl'e by movement of the'abutted cans advanced on the delivery conveyor, and control means acting upon the feeding means for limiting the speed of movement of the feeding means to a predetermined maximum. I I

2. The combination of a delivery conveyor for two rows of cans or similar articles, means for driving such conveyor, a receiving conveyor for a single line of cans, means for driving the receiving conveyor at a speed in excess of twice the speed of the delivery conveyor, converging guides extending from along the sides of the double line conveyor to the single line conveyor, a pair of adjacent, rotatably mounted star wheels, each formed with an alternating series of uniformly spaced notches between projecting fingers, movable respectively between advancing cans in each line of the double row to discharge the cans in a single row onto the single line conveyor, driving gears for rotating the star wheels oppositely and in unison, whereby their adjacent peripheral surfaces will move in the same direction, a motor for actuating the driving gears for the star wheels, means for operating the motor at a predetermined maximum speed, and an overrunning clutch between the motor and driving gears to permit the cans to pass between the star wheels at varying speeds up to the maximum permitted by the motor.

3. The combination of a deli cry conveyor for two rows of cans or similar articles, means for driving such conveyor, a receiving conveyor for a single line of cans, means for driving the receiving conveyor at a speed in excess of twice the speed of the delivery conveyor, converging guides extending from along the sides of the double line conveyor to the single conveyor, a pair of adjacent, rotatably mounted star wheels, each formed with an alternating series of uniformly spaced notches between projecting fingers, movable respectively between advancing cans in each line of the double row to discharge the cans in spaced relation on a single row onto the single line conveyor, driving gears for rotating the star wheels oppositely and in unison, whereby their adjacent peripheral surfaces will move in the same direction, an electric motor for actuating the driving gears for the star wheels, means for operating the motor at a predetermined maximum speed, and an overrunning clutch between the motor and driving gears to permit the cans to pass between the star wheels at varying speeds up to the maximum per mitted by the motor, a conducting circuit for the motor, a switch unit in such circuit, means tending normally to move the switch unit to open position, a photocell unit arranged at the side of the receiving conveyor with its light beam projected across the path of the articles, a time delay relay maintained with its contacts normally closed when light is on the receiver of the photocell unit and serving when closed to hold the motor switch in closed position, said time delay relay being adapted to time out within a predetermined time after the light beam is interrupted by reason of the cans on the receiving conveyor backing up into contact with each other, whereby the switch unit in the motor circuit is caused to move to open position to stop the motor operation.

4. A metering can line combining device for converting two conveyed rows of cans or similar articles to a single row, such device comprising a frame to be supported in fixed position over a fiat-surfaced can conveyor, a pair of spaced, downwardly projecting shafts journaled in the frame, a star wheel fixed on the lower end of each shaft, said star wheels having their peripheries spaced apart and being formed with an alternating series of uniformly spaced can-receiving notches between projecting fingers, and gear means connecting the star wheel shafts to cause them to rotate in opposite directions so their adjacent peripheral portions will move in the same direction, the spacing of the star wheels being such as to permit the passage of only one can at a time between them, a motor secured on the frame, means for operating the motor at a constant maximum speed, and gear means including an overrunning clutch operatively connecting the motor with the star wheel gearing, whereby the star wheels may operate at any speed below the speed of rotation of the clutch part driven by the motor.

References tilted by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Acting Primary Examiner.

EDWARD A. SROKA, ERNEST A. FALLER, 111.,

Examiners. 

1. THE COMBINATION OF A DELIVERY CONVEYOR FOR TWO ROWS OF ABUTTED CANS OR SIMILAR ARTICLES, MEANS FOR DRIVING THE CONVEYOR, A RECEIVING CONVEYOR FOR A SINGLE LINE OF CANS, MEANS FOR DRIVING THE RECEIVING CONVEYOR AT A SPEED AT LEAST TWICE THE SPEED OF THE DELIVERY CONVEYOR, FEEDING MEANS LOCATED BETWEEN THE CONVEYORS, SAID FEEDING MEANS BEING FORMED OF TWO OPERATING UNITS ACTING IN UNISON AND ARRANGED AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE DELIVERY CONVEYOR, SUCH FEEDING MEANS ACTING ALTERNATELY TO FEED A CAN FROM EACH ROW OF THE DELIVERY CONVEYOR ONTO THE RECEIVING CONVEYOR, THE FEEDING MEANS BEING ACTUABLE BY MOVEMENT OF THE ABUTTED CANS ADVANCED ON THE DELIVERY CONVEYOR, AND CONTROL MEANS ACTING UPON THE FEEDING MEANS FOR LIMITING THE SPEED OF MOVEMENT OF THE FEEDING MEANS TO A PREDETERMINED MAXIMUM. 